THE SWEET SMELL OF CITRUS

Hello, my name is Gayle and I’m known in the office as the resident birdwatcher, hiker, and gardener. I’d like to be able to say that I can pick oranges from my backyard tree but it was planted about a year ago and is too young. So, what do I do when I want some tasty citrus? Take a drive to the original Orange Patch on Lehi Road. It reminds me of walking into a Midwestern produce market. Right inside the door are samples of navel oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and Arizona sweets -- so you can try before you buy. The market also has honey, nuts, chocolate, jams & jellies, dates, ice cream cones, snack mixes and a whole lot more. I recently visited the Orange Patch to have navel oranges shipped to Illinois, Michigan, and Washington. Friends and relatives look forward to receiving some homegrown Mesa citrus every year. They tell me it’s like receiving sunshine in a box. Of course I came home with a 20-pound sack of sweet and juicy navels for my local family and friends. Nothing like locally-grown – how sweet it is!